Vancouver’s natural beauty is worth protecting. Our children not only need places to play, but also places to enjoy and explore nature. We all need places of tranquil refuge from our busy lives. The animals and birds that help make our city lives enjoyable need places to nest and raise their young.
People and nature in balance is my vision for our parks and recreation system.

06 April 2014

The time has come to phase out whales and dolphins from Stanley Park

The time has come for a change at the Aquarium. It is time for them to phase out the containment of whales and dolphin (cetaceans). If they won’t do it voluntarily then they must be compelled to. Next year the Park Board will re-negotiate the terms of the Aquariums lease in Stanley Park. Part of that lease must be the phasing out of whales and dolphins.This week a lot of publicity has surrounded the announcement by two Vision Vancouver Park Commissioners that they want to see the end of whale captivity at Vancouver Aquarium. Sarah Blyth and Constance Barnes say that they want the Aquarium to phase out whales and dolphins. I applaud their statements but I do have some misgivings. Both Commissioners Blyth and Barnes voted against a motion I brought to the Park Board in 2010 for a plebiscite during the 2011 election. Neither have called for a vote in this November’s civic election. “I’d like to see the question asked, "Should whales be kept in captivity at this time?’” Blyth said (in the Courier). “But we can’t bind another board to a decision we’ve made.” There is only limited time to get a plebiscite question onto the November ballot. I hope Commissioners Blyth and Barnes will have the courage of their convictions and bring a motion to the Park Board asking City Council to put the question to the people. Let the citizens of Vancouver have their say.Both COPE and the Green Party are on record favouring holding a city-wide vote on the phasing out of whales and dolphins. I hope Vision Vancouver will join and real action can be taken this year.

1 comment:

Stuart Mackinnon

Stuart has been fighting against privatization of our parks for many years. First elected as a Vancouver Park Board Commissioner from 2008-2011, Stuart was re-elected in 2014 and continues to be committed to maintaining neighbourhood recreational services and keeping the 'public' in public spaces.